Apparatus for drying barrels.



No. 674,659. Patented May 2I', l90l.

H. WEBER &. C. M. JEWETT. APPARATUS FOR DRYING BABHELS.

(Application filed Oct. 15, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 674,659. Patented May 2|, 190i.

H. WEBER & C. M. JEWETT.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING BARRELS.

(Application filed Oct. 15, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT Urrrcn.

HENRY WEBER AND CHARLES M. JEWETT, OF PEKIN, ILLINOIS, 'ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES A. EDDS, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATU S FO R DRY! NG BARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,659, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed October 15, 1900. serial No. 33,109. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern: or cylinder therefor in section; and Fig. 2, a Be it known that we, HENRY WEBER and similar view to Fig. 1, showing a modification CHARLES M. J EWETT, citizens of the United of the application and use of the inclosing cas- States, and residents of Pekin, in the county ing or cylinder for the barrel. 7 5 of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have in- The heater or furnace necessary for use in vented certain new and useful Improvements connection with our apparatus must be one in Apparatus for Drying Barrels, of which in which the flame is notpermitted to enter the following is a specification. within the interior of the barrel and in which It is well known that in order to give the an intense dry heat is produced for passing. 1o proper curvature or contour to barrel-staves through the barrel and producing a thorough it is first necessary to steam the staves before and efficient drying efiect. bending or curving them, and this steaming A form of furnace capable of the desired leaves the staves in a wet or saturated condioperation is illustrated in the drawings and tion, so much so that it is necessary to dry has a fire pot or chamber A, preferably cir- 15 the barrel after it is set up and before the cular in cross-section, and made of any suitheads are placed therein, and such drying able material and havinga construction open must be thorough and complete and extend from the top to the bottom, being, in efiect, an throughout the entire barrel in order to have open-ended cylindrical shell adapted to rethe barrel in condition for use and so that it ceive a burner at the bottom and to be filled 7o 20 can be hooped and properly-finished. It has with fire-brick or other refractory material. been the practice heretofore to place the in- The fire pot or chamber proper, as shown, is complete barrel after it is set up over an open surrounded by an exterior shell or wall A, brazier or in such other relation to afurnace made of any suitable material, and also ciror other heat-producing appliance as to allow cular in cross-section and of a greater diame- 2 5 the drying-out medium to pass into the inteter than the fire pot or chamber, so as to leave rior of the barrel, and it is desirable to have a space a, between them for the reception of the action of the drying-out medium and its asbestos or other non conductor of heat, drying effect of a nature not'to scorch or which will act as a preventive against a too blister the interior of the barrel or blacken great radiation of heat from the fire pot or 0 such interior, rendering it exceedingly diffichamber and tend to cause the heat to have cult to finish the barrel in a shape suitable a direct upward delivery. The fire pot or for use, and this is especially true for barrels chamber is connected with the exterior wall intended to contain high-proof spirits and or casing by a flange or plate or in any other other like liquids or material. suitable manner that will support the fire pot 5 The object of our invention is to construct or chamber in place, and below the flange or an apparatus by the use of which the interior plate and between it and the bottom of the of barrels will be subjected to a dry heat of outer cylinder or casingis a chamber or space great intensity and of a nature to act on the a for the reception of an air-blast. A burner barrel and thoroughly dry it out without any B is located in the open bottom of the fire 9o 40 scorching or blistering effect and without propot or chamber and nearly fills the diameter ducing any blackening or discoloration of the thereof, leaving around its periphery an aninterior of the barrel; and the invention connular space for the admission of air to supsists in the features of construction and the. port combustion and cut down the flame. combination of parts hereinafter described This burner may be of the form shown, with 5 5 and claimed. a rounded top provided with slits or tips for In the drawings, Figure l is asectional elethe passage of the gas to be ignited and'convation showing an arrangementof heater or sumed in the fire pot or chamber, and the b furnace and the location thereof in relation burner is located below the fire-brickor other to the barrel for subjecting the barrel to an refractory material b, which can be brought 50 intense and dry heat, one side of the figure to an incandescent heat without deteriorashowing the barrel and the inclosing casing tion and is capable of throwing 0E such heat for admission into and passage through the barrel to be dried. The burner is attached to the end of a gas-pipe C, which receives its supply of gas from a header or pipe 0, leading from anysource of supply, and, as shown, the pipe O is provided. with a regulatingvalve 0, by means of which the gas-supply to the burner can be regulated as required. The air for the support of combustion and to be heated for effecting the drying of the barrel is supplied from a pipe D, entered into the chamber or space at beneath the burner, and the pipe D receives a supply of preferably compressed air from a header or pipe D, leading from any suitable source of supply, such as an air-compressor or a coinpressed-air reservoir, and the pipe D is provided with a regulating-valve d, by means of which the supply of air through the pipe can be regulated as desired. The air under pressure is projected from the pipe D into the chamber or space a and passes up into the fire pot or chamber A in the annular space around the burner, and this air serves to sup- .port and produce perfect combustion, and in quantity the supply is in excess of the amount required to produce perfect combustion, and such excess after the fire-brick' or other refractory material in the fire-pot has been brought to an incandescent or white heat becomes heated and passes up into the barrel, furnishing dry intense heat unaccompanied by any flame, as the pressure of the air operates to cut down the flame, which remains in close proximity to the burner and cannot pass up through the fire pot or chamber and enter the barrel. It will thus be seen that'the dry heat'for operation on the barrel is simply the hot dry air brought to a degree of high intense heat in its passage through the fire pot or chamber before delivery or admission into the barrel, the result being that this high degree of intense heat or hot air is the only medium which acts in heating and drying out the barrel.

The fire-pot and its surrounding shell or wall and the lower ends of the gas and air pipes leading to the fire pot or chamber in the arrangement shown are located in a setting E of any suitable material, and, as shown in Fig. 1, this setting is continuous and adapted to receive two fire pots or chambers and their coacting appliances side by side. The setting above each fire pot or chamber is provided with a chamber E of a greater diameter at the top than at the bottom, having, as shown, an

outwardly and upwardly flaring wall or side.

On the top of the setting around each chamber E is a plate E from which depends a central conical-shaped deflector e, and the top of the plate around the central deflector is provided with a series of radiating openings or passages e for the discharge of the dry hot air which enters the spreading-chamber E from the fire pot or chamber. The conical central deflector is located in line with the center of the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and operates to produce a deflecting of the hot air on all sides for such air to pass up through the radial openings or passages e into the interior of the barrel.

The casing or cylinder F for inclosing the barrel has its upper end closed by a suitable cover, and this casing or cylinder, in the arrangement shown in Fig. l, rests at its lower end upon the plate E so as to surround the openings in the plate for the projected hot air to pass up in to the casing or cylinder. This casing or cylinder is of a diameter and height sufficient to receive a barrel within itsinterior and wholly inclose the barrel. As shown, it is provided on opposite sides with slides f to run on the pipes or tubes 0 and D, so that such pipes or tubes furnish the guides for rais= ing and lowering the casing or cylinder. A cross-piece G is located between the two pipes O and D near the top and is secured to each pipe in any suitable manner, and a second cross-piece G is located between these pipes and secured to each in anysuitable manner and is arranged at a sufficient height to serve as a stop for the casing or cylinder when it has been raised. A rope or cable g is attached to the cover of the casing or cylinder F and runs over a pulley g on the cross-piece G, and to the other end of this cord or cable is attached a weight g, which serves as a counterpoise for the casing or cylinder and facilitates the raising and lowering thereof. It is to be understood that a casing or cylinder is to be provided for each furnace and each casing or cylinder is to run up and down on the pipes O and D as guides, though, if desired, separate guides could be provided, and the pipes C- and D need not extend vertically upward, but could be arranged horizontally. The barrel H to be operated upon is placed on the supporting ring or plate E, so as to be central in line with and over the fire-pot or combustion-chamber, and the inclosing casing or cylinder, which has been raised or elevated for the placing of the barrel in a position, is dropped or lowered, so as to surround the barrel, with its lower end resting on the plate or ring E in the arrangement shown in Fig. l, when the apparatus is ready for use.

In use gas is admitted to the barrel B, and the burner is lighted and air under pressure is admitted to the chamber or space a from the supply-pipe D. This air furnishes a support for combustion, and the heat of the combustion will bring the fire-brick or other refractory material I) to a high degree of heat, and when this point has been reached the excess of admitted air over and above What is required for-perfect combustion passes up through the highly-heated refractory material and is in turn brought to an intense high heat and reduced to a perfectly dry state. This dry and intensely-heated air passes from the fire-pot or combustion-chain ber into the spreading-chamber, and from thence is projected up through the openings in the cover.- ing-plate E into the barrel and within the inclosing cylinder or casing and through its force and hot dry condition operates on the interior of the barrel and the exterior also, so as to thoroughly and effectively heat and dry out the barrel. The hot dry air operates to produce a heating and drying effect on the barrel without any blistering, burning, browning, scorching, or blackening effect, as it is unaccompanied by any flame, so that the barrel is only subjected to a dry and intense heat, which heat is the most desirable and effective for producing the results sought of thoroughly drying out the barrel.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 will be found efiective and reliable in use; but instead of having the inclosing casing or cylinder rest on the covering-plate such inclosing casing or cylinder can be formed and arranged to pass down and surround the setting, which will prevent the admission of any outside air at the bottom of the casing or cylinder, as might occur with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. A construction for the easing or cylinder to pass down around the setting is shown in Fig. 2, in which the setting at the upper portion instead of being continuous for the two driers is formed with a separate portion for each furnace, and the covering or supporting plate is continued downward, so as to encompass the setting and furnish a guide for the descent of the casing or cylinder and also forming a guard against the direct admission of exterior air around the top of the casing or cylinder to strike the lower end of the barrel. The effect of exterior air striking the lower end of the barrel might operate to prevent the thorough drying out of the barrel at the lower end; but with the construction shown in Fig. 2 the exterior air before striking the barrel would become more or less heated, as it must pass up around the setting in order to gain admission to the'interior of the casing or cylinder, and in such passage it will become heated, so as not to give a cooling effect.

The apparatus is exceedingly simple in construction and by its use the drying out of .the barrel is eifected without any liability of blast,which operates to produce perfect c0mbustion and cut down the flame. The location of the burner below the barrel and forcing the air through the flre-pot or combustion-chamber, filled with fire-brick or other a refractory material which can be brought to an incandescent or white heat or to a high degree of heat, enables the forced air to become thoroughly dried out and heated prior to its admission into the interior of the barrel to produce the drying effect, which is had from the action of the dry and intense heat arising from the projection of air under pressure through a bed or body of highly-heated material, which removes the moisture from the air, leaving only a dry and intense heat. It will thus be seen that by the use of our apparatus the drying out of barrels is greatly facilitated, and such drying out is unaccompanied with any ill effects, such as blistering, burning, browning, scorching, or blackening;

We claim 1. In an apparatus for drying barrels, the combination of a furnace having a fire-pot containing refractory material and open at both top and bottom and receiving a supply of air under pressure to support combustion in the fire-pot and have the excess brought to the condition of dry intense heat, a support for a barrel located in line with and above the furnace clear of the flame, and a casing or cylinder adapted to inclose a barrel, standing on end over and in direct line with the fire-pot of the furnace, for subjecting the interior of the barrel to the dry intense heat of the furnace passing into and through the barrel endwise unaccompanied by flames and injurious products of combustion, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for drying barrels, the combination of a fire-pot or combustion-chamber containing refractory material and open at both top and bottom, a burner in the bottom of the fire-pot or combustion-chamber for consuming gas, a heat-spreading chamber above the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and in line therewith, a support for a barrel located above the heat-spreading chamber in line with the fire-pot or combustion-chamher, a casing or cylinder adapted to inclose a barrel, standing on end over and in direct line with the fire-pot or combustion-chamber of the furnace, and a pipe or tube for supplying air to the fire-pot or combustion-chamber under pressure to support combustion and have the excess brought to the condition of dry intense heat for passage into and through the barrel endwise unaccompanied by flames and injurious products of combustion, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for drying barrels, the combination ofa fire-pot or combustion-chamber open at the top and bottom, a burner located in the open bottom of the fire-pot or combustion chamber for consuming gas, a gas-pipe for supplying gas to the burner, an air-pipe for supplying air under pressure to the fire-pot or combustion-chamber in excess of the amount required for combustion,a heatspreading chamber above the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and in line therewith, a support for a barrel above the heat-spreading chamber and in line with the fire-pot or com bustion-chamber, maintaining a barrel set endwise thereon above and out of contact with the flame of the fire-pot or combustionchamber, and an inclosed casing or cylinder adapted to be raised and lowered to receive and surround a barrel standing on end, for subjecting the interior of the barrel to the dry intense heat of the air passing through the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and into and through the barrel endwise unaccompanied by flames andinjurious products of combustion, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for drying barrels, the combination of a fire-pot or combustion-chamber open at the top and bottom, a burner located in the open bottom of the fire-pot or combustion-chamber for consuming gas, a gas-pipe for supplying gas to the burner, an air-pipe for supplying air underpressure to the fire-pot or combustion-chamber in excess of the amount required to support combustion, a setting for the fire-pot or combustion-chamher, a heat-spreading chamber in the setting above the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and in line therewith, a covering or supporting plate over the heat-spreading chamber adapted to receive a barrel standing on end and support the barrel over and in direct line with the fire-pot or combustion-chamber, and an inolosed casing or cylinder adapted to be raised and lowered to receive and surround a barrel standing on end'to be heated and dried, for subjecting the interior of the barrel to intensely-heated dry air and heat passing from the fire-pot or combustion-chamber into and through the barrel endwise Without the accompaniment of the injurious. products of combustion, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for drying barrels, the combination of a fire-pot orcombustion-chamber open at the top and bottom, a burner located in the open bottom of the fire-pot or combustion-chamber for consuming gas, a gas-pipe for supplying gas to the burner, an air-pipe for supplying air 'under pressure to the fire-pot or combustion-chamber in excess of the amount required for combustion, a setting for the fire-pot or combustion-chamber, a heat-spreading chamber in the setting above the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and in line therewith, acovering or supporting plate over the heat-spreading chamber in direct line with the fire-pot or combustion-chamber and adapted to receive and support a barrel standing on end over and in direct line with the fire-pot or combustion-chamber, and an inclosed casing or cylinder adapted to be raised and lowered to receive and surround a barrel standing on end and to be dropped around the setting of the fire-pot or combustion-chamber, for subjecting the interior of the barrel to intensely-heated air and heat .from the fire-pot or combustion-chamber passing into and through the barrel endwise without the accompaniment of the injurious products of combustion,- substantially as described.

HENRY WEBER. O. M. JEWETT.

Witnesses:

FRANK TERNE, A. H. PURDIE. 

